Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 826: Reward

"As compensation for this matter, I'll delegate the full voting rights to the 2% stake LT Entertainment currently holds in Hoop Entertainment."

LT Entertainment had signed an MOU with Hoop Entertainment, promising future collaboration on content production. They also purchased shares in time for the listing date.

However, I had originally heard that LT Entertainment had bought only 0.5% of Hoop Entertainment's shares. At some point, they had quietly acquired an additional 1.5%, now holding a total of 2%.

And now, Shin Jong-Ki was handing over the voting rights to me. For someone like me, who was trying to protect Hoop Entertainment, it was an invaluable reward—something money couldn't buy. Hoop Entertainment stock was so in demand that it was practically impossible to buy now, even if one wanted to.

Shin Jong-Ki smiled as he looked at my delighted expression. "I realized it too late. You've been helping and protecting me all this time, and all I did was give you a bit more money. That's nothing. So I thought hard about it and figured the best thing I could give you was the voting rights to Hoop Entertainment shares."

If it had been money, I might have refused. However, this was different.

I let out a brief sigh and nodded. "This is too generous for what I've done... but if you're willing to delegate the voting rights, I'll gladly accept."

Shin Jong-Ki grinned widely."I knew you wouldn't pass up this kind of opportunity. Oh, and one more thing. Once I become chairman of LT Inc., I'll hand over ownership of those shares to you too!"

Shin Jong-Ki was promising to gift me the shares outright once he became chairman of LT Inc. Currently, 1% of Hoop Entertainment shares were valued at seven billion won.

'And who knows how much higher they might climb?'

"Sir... that's..."

"Why are you so surprised? Someone aiming to be the next LT Inc. head should have this kind of generosity. Honestly, before I met you? Becoming the chairman of the company was a pipe dream. But after we met and I started racking up results, even my older brother started seeing me as a threat. Thanks to you, my father finally took an interest in my work. For the first time in my sixty years, I felt ambition. And hey, if I become chairman, what can't I give you? I mean it. You deserve everything."

'He's different...'

Before the regression, most of the chaebol heirs I knew didn't think twice about spending tens of billions on themselves. Yet when it came to others, they would pinch even a single won.

Shin Jong-Ki wasn't like that. But even so, owning shares wasn't what I was after. Just the news that LT Entertainment held a stake in our company and was working with us was enough to raise Hoop Entertainment's overall stock value.

More than that, I wanted to keep working with someone like Shin Jong-Ki, who openly expressed his gratitude when he felt it.

So I turned down the offer of ownership. "Sir, you don't need to transfer ownership of the shares."

"Huh? But that 2% is worth more than most people earn in a lifetime."

"I'll earn that money myself. And let's keep those shares as a symbol of the friendship between LT Inc. and Hoop Entertainment."

Even without owning the shares, having voting rights was as good as owning them. So I accepted his intention, not the shares.

Shin Jong-Ki paused for a moment, then nodded. "Hmm... fine. If that's what you want, I'll go with it. Okay then. I'll officially delegate the 2% voting rights to you."

"Thank you."

"Hey, I should be the one thanking you. If it weren't for you, this could've ended in disaster. Hahaha."

And just like that, Shin Jong-Ki promised to give me 2% of the voting rights as a reward. At that moment, Shin Jong-Ki turned at the sound behind us. Yoo-Jin had eaten a heap of pork belly kimchi stew and was now doing a love shot[1] with Han Soo-Bin using dongchimi bowls.

"So... is that girl officially becoming part of Hoop?" Shin Jong-Ki asked.

I shook my head. "No. I'm not bringing Soo-Bin into Hoop Entertainment."

"Why? Then what happens to her? You're just going to let her film movies without a management company?"

"No. I plan to send Soo-Bin to Reverse Entertainment."

"Reverse, huh?"

"Yes. Soo-Bin's older brother is a talent agent at Reverse Entertainment."

Before the regression, the time when Han Soo-Bin shined brightest was when she ran a one-person agency with her much older brother, Han Gwang-Cheol, who served as her talent agent.

I had originally planned to help her start a solo agency again, but then I found out that her brother had recently joined Reverse Entertainment as a talent agent. So I arranged for her to be under Reverse Entertainment's protection until the day she eventually went independent.

"Hahaha. Most people would be scrambling to snatch up such a promising seedling... but not you, Chief Jung."

Before the regression, I might have acted out of greed too. Back then, if something wasn't in my hands, I didn't consider it mine. However, that belief had changed. Now, I understood that if I maintained a relationship built on trust like this, I didn't need to hold it in my hand for it to be mine in every meaningful way.

I shrugged. "I suppose I'm a little odd."

"Yeah, you sure are. Hahaha."

Shin Jong-Ki and I shared a quiet smile.

After a moment, he reached out his hand. "Well then. We've got auditions tomorrow, so let's wrap things up here."

"Yes, sir. Please get home safe."

We shook hands firmly, a handshake of friendship. Then I headed to Reverse Entertainment with Yoo-Jin and Han Soo-Bin.

***

Vrooom~

After Jung Yoon-Ho drove off, Shin Jong-Ki was soon joined by Chief Secretary Ahn In-Hyuk.

Ahn In-Hyuk, thirty-seven years old, had graduated from Seoul National University, studied abroad in the U.S., and finished at Yale. He was a brilliant mind, certified in both law and accounting, and one of Shin Jong-Ki's core strategists.

"Sir, I checked through the head office secretary line. It looks like Director Jang Jong-Cheol will be assigned to a one-year post in Japan."

Though Jang Jong-Cheol had been caught creating slush funds, the truth was that almost no core executive in the group had entirely clean hands. Even Shin Jong-Ki himself had set aside some slush funds in preparation for his succession bid.

However, the reason the chairman had called Jang Jong-Cheol in and disciplined him wasn't about the slush fund itself. It was simply because he had let a rival learn about a weakness of someone they were supposed to serve.

"Sigh... I figured that's about the limit. And my hyung-nim?" Shin Jong-Ki asked.

"You know Mr. Chairman's personality better than anyone, don't you? He doesn't bother with... well, trivial matters."

"True. That's just who he is." Shin Jong-Ki nodded with a hint of regret in his expression. "Then I suppose we'll have to be satisfied with losing an arm for now."

He knew Jang Jong-Cheol would return in a year, but without him, Shin Woo-Jin would undoubtedly make many mistakes in the meantime. After all, Jang Jong-Cheol had been Shin Woo-Jin's closest and most influential advisor.

"Anyway, enough of that. Go ahead and delegate the 2% voting rights to Chief Jung, just like I promised. Not indefinitely, though. Renew it every six months."

Just then, Ahn In-Hyuk's eyes narrowed as he asked, "Sir, Hoop Entertainment stock is rising faster than any other company's right now. Holding the voting rights could be a powerful asset for you later."

Shin Jong-Ki looked at Ahn In-Hyuk. He knew this was coming from the loyalty of a man who had staked everything on making Shin Jong-Ki the next chairman. Nevertheless, Shin Jong-Ki had already made a promise to Chief Jung.

And more importantly, he had a deeper reason.

"Look, Chief Ahn. I know you're giving everything to make me chairman. But if I'm going to reach the top, I need someone like Chief Jung."

"I understand his abilities, but aren't you depending on him too much? What if he betrays you someday?"

Shin Jong-Ki responded firmly. "If he were that kind of person, he would've taken my brother's hand instead. Don't you think so?"

Ahn In-Hyuk hesitated, then nodded. Shin Jong-Ki had only begun to stand out in LT Inc.'s succession race after aligning himself with Jung Yoon-Ho.

"I apologize. That was my mistake."

"You're sharp in every way except for worrying too much. Hahaha."

In all of Ahn in-Hyuk's memory, this was the first time Shin Jong-Ki had shown such trust and warmth toward anyone. Born into a chaebol family, trusting others was never an option. And yet, Shin Jong-Ki had placed boundless faith in Jung Yoon-Ho.

"Oh, and one more thing. Buy more Hoop Entertainment shares."

"How much, sir?"

"Up to 5%. And delegate the voting rights for that stake to Chief Jung as well. Someday, it might be of great help to him."

"I'll take care of it as instructed."

"Alright then, shall we go see Mr. Chairman?"

"He actually sent word for you to come in."

"Right. We'd better head up."

"I'll go get the car."

Ahn In-Hyuk gave a short bow and rushed off to the parking lot. Left alone, Shin Jong-Ki thought to himself.

'Chief Jung, the voting rights to 5% of Hoop Entertainment is my real gift to you. And if I become chairman of LT Inc., I'll make sure it's something even better.'

Without even knowing it, Shin Jong-Ki's gift to Jung Yoon-Ho was steadily growing.

***

Han Soo-Bin signed a favorable contract with Reverse Entertainment, where her only brother worked as a talent agent. They assigned her brother as her exclusive talent agent, and with Kang Eun-Gi personally handling major matters, she was visibly delighted.

Then I contacted Managing Director Lee Eun-Joo to finalize her casting as Lee So-Mi. That's when the media coverage exploded.

[Han Soo-Bin confirmed as rising actress for major supporting role 'Lee So-Mi' in She Was Beautiful!]

[Reverse Entertainment rookie Han Soo-Bin beats 500-to-1 odds, cast as Jung Yoo-Jin's rival.]

Most people still didn't know who Han Soo-Bin was, so there weren't many comments yet. But once the film hit theaters, she would surely bask in its popularity.

The auditions wrapped in the evening the next day, and the rest of the 'Angel Wings' members were finalized.

After that, I had some premium Korean beef courtesy of Shin Jong-Ki, then returned to Cheonho-dong.

As I pulled up in front of the house at 8 p.m., Yoo-Jin got out first and turned to me. "Aren't you coming in, oppa?"

Still holding the wheel, I replied, "Ah, I've got to head back to the company. Ha-Na's mom and Mrs. Lee Mal-Soon are coming by tonight."

Soon, Kim Hyun-Ji, Kang Ha-Na's mother, would be arriving at Hoop Entertainment. She was about to debut with a trot song titled 'Youth, Once Again!,' and she was visiting to discuss her debut schedule and undergo a vocal test. Lee Mal-Soon was scheduled to feature on the track and would be there too.

Yoo-Jin drooped her shoulders, putting on a pitiful face. "I see. I'd like to come say hello, but I'm totally drained from all the judging today. Phew."

"I'll explain things well. We'll see her often anyway, so you can greet her another time."

Yoo-Jin's shoulders immediately perked up. "Okay~ Oh, right. What's Ha-Na's schedule like in May? Once it gets warmer, we were planning to go camping in the yard with Miso."

May was college festival season, and it was also prime time for event performances.

"She'll probably be going around to college festivals."

Midterms typically ended in late April, and university festivals ran around mid-May. The lineup of performers was a status symbol for student councils, so singers' fees skyrocketed during this season. Some small entertainment agencies survived the whole year on the performance fees from spring and fall festivals.

"Hmm~ Then we'd better do it before that?"

"Yeah. She'll be super busy starting in May, so you won't have time after that."

"Got it~ Take care then!"

"Okay~ Get some rest."

Yoo-Jin opened the front door and called out to Miso in a cheerful voice. "Miso~ Mommy's home~"

She had been slumped over from audition fatigue just moments ago, but the moment she stepped inside, she lit up like a firework.

-Mom, why didn't Uncle Yoon-Ho come? Where's Uncle Yoon-Ho?

-Oh? Uncle Yoon-Ho's busy, so he had to go back to the company.

-Without saying hello to me?

-He said he'll come by tonight. Can't you see him then?

-No! If I fall asleep, I won't see him again today!

Miso's high-pitched cry rang out through the front door. It tugged at my heart, but I had no choice but to turn the car around. If I saw Miso's face, I wouldn't be able to leave.

-Uncle Yoon-Ho!

I pretended not to hear Miso calling with all her might and drove off toward the company.

'Miso, I'm going to make lots and lots of money so I can buy you everything you want.'

***

Stopped at the traffic light at the entrance to the alley where Hoop Entertainment was located, I glanced sideways at today's entertainment news.

[Treviang ranks 3rd on music shows with new song 'Stand Alone']

[Berry Six takes 1st place with 'I'm Cinderella,' pushing Park Eun-Bin to 2nd]

[Berry Six becomes the fans' Cinderella]

[Hoop Entertainment births yet another top-ranked girl group]

"So the Berry Six girls finally did it."

On today's music show, Berry Six—the girl group managed by Chief Yoon Dong-Gu from Singer Division 4—finally clinched first place. Berry Six had trained for years and were all highly skilled, so they achieved results fast despite their recent debut. Even though Cherry Blossom, Kang Ha-Na, and Seo Yeon-Woo weren't on the charts due to preparing for their comebacks, this was still an impressive feat.

And there was another pleasant surprise I hadn't expected. Though the score gap was wide, Treviang from Singer Division 1 had ranked third. It was a remarkable outcome. I had been so busy lately that I hadn't been able to help with this comeback, so seeing them achieve that on their own made me proud.

That was when the left-turn signal came on. I placed my phone on the center console and stepped on the gas. A moment later, I was slowly cruising down the side street leading to Hoop Entertainment.

Just as the entrance to the underground parking lot came into view, a sharp voice from a young woman rang out.

"Hey! Wait a second! Isn't this way out of line?"

I instinctively hit the brakes.

Screech.

Looking around, I spotted two men and two women arguing in front of the building's lobby. One group wore jackets from Daeseong University in Suwon, while the other wore jackets from Jeonghan University in Seoul.

Then one of the male students from Jeonghan shouted loudly, "Out of line? You haven't even finalized the contract with Berry Six, have you? And now you're trying to book a number-one girl group for just five million won? Isn't that the real problem?"

Jeonghan University was a long-established private school in Seoul with a large, well-funded student council. In contrast, Daeseong University was a smaller, regional private university with limited resources.

The female student from Daeseong cried out in frustration, "Mr. Yoon Dong-Gu was the one who offered the five million won rate! That's why we came to sign the contract, and now you suddenly quote twenty million and snatch them away? How is that fair?"

For spring festivals held in mid-May, student councils and event companies typically started booking artists in April. From the sounds of it, both parties had tried to book Berry Six for the same day.

The male student from Jeonghan University snorted derisively. "Then maybe you should've put money down first, huh?"

"Seriously? So money's all that matters?"

That's when it turned ugly. A male student from Jeonghan, clearly a returning student, started hurling rude remarks at the girl from Daeseong.

"All that matters? And who do you think you are, talking down to me like that? Hey! How old are you, huh?"

From what I could gather, it looked like Yoon Dong-Gu had unilaterally changed the festival booking fee, causing this mess. If so, I couldn't just sit back and watch. Letting this spill outside could badly damage the company's image.

So I rolled down the window and calmly addressed the students. "Hey, students. Maybe let's lower our voices and talk this through..."

But before I could finish, the Jeonghan University student blinded by my headlights raised his voice, clearly not recognizing me.

"Hey, old man, mind your own business! And turn off your damn lights! They're blinding!"

'Old man? This guy looked ten years older than me. Where did he get the nerve...'

However, I was a working adult. I couldn't brawl with a college student. Still, there was no way a civil conversation would happen with someone who opened with profanity.

I quietly opened the voice recorder app on my phone, slipped it into my inner pocket, and shut off the car engine. Then I stepped out of the now-darkened car with a pleasant smile and approached the Jeonghan University student.

'Alright, then~ how about we have a polite and serious conversation now, just the two of us?'

1. Korean drinking culture is when two people link arms and drink their shot simultaneously, often involving soju ☜